


Spin, Spin, and Smile Again

by Cumberbatch Critter (ivelostmyspectacles)



Series: Mommy and Daddy's World Hopping - Between the Pages [8]
Category: Shiritsu Horitsuba Gakuen
Genre: Crossdressing, Dresses, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Gen, M/M, Transphobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-14
Updated: 2015-11-15
Packaged: 2018-05-01 13:42:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5207975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ivelostmyspectacles/pseuds/Cumberbatch%20Critter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p></p><blockquote>
  <p>Fai whisked the dress away and spun around again - the feel of the satin against his bare ankles, the cool touch against his skin - and beamed at Yuuko. </p>
</blockquote>In which Fai models wedding dresses, everything is happy until it isn't, Yuuko hatches a plan, and Kurogane is a tiny bit clueless.
            </blockquote>





	1. The Damsel in Distress

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bookwyrmling](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookwyrmling/gifts).



> So, bookwyrmling and I have this role play going on over on Tumblr of Fai and Yuuko going to try on wedding dresses following the birthday party in the Horitsuba omake, and we had two routes...

Fai spun around in the lacy gown, stumbling over the hem and the train with a laugh. "Whoops~"

"Fai-san, careful~" Yuuko trilled, refilling her flute of champagne. "Don't fall down, we need you to be in tip-top shape for your wedding night~"

Fai laughed again, and, to be fair, the laughter had been as constant as the pouring of the alcohol for the past two days. He _had_ been serious yesterday, the smack on the head from Kurogane nonwithstanding! He wanted to try on a wedding gown! They were pretty! Why shouldn't he?? And when Yuuko had showed up at his door this morning and blindfolded him and said she had a surprise for him, of course he had gone along with it; why wouldn't he? He hadn't known they were going to a bridal shop, and it made the events of the birthday party the previous day even _better_. They had gotten to celebrate some of his student's birthdays, _and now_ , he got to try on wedding dresses.

"I love the back of it," Yuuko said. "Illusion, is the correct term?"

"Yep~" Hokuto chirped, from behind a rack of dresses. One half of the Sumeragi twins worked here part-time, and was currently helping them find suitable dresses to try on.

"And the beadwork! It's really to _die_ for, Fai-san~"

"But does an a-line work with me?" Fai wondered, tapping the edge of his champagne flute. "Because-"

"You should try this one on, Fai-sensei!" Hokuto announced, appearing from behind the row. It was a simple, sleek white gown with floral applique, but the crowning feature was indubitably the long, white cape that went over the shoulders.

Fai was fairly certain his mouth might have fallen open. "It's beautiful, Hokuto-chan!" He hiked up the train of the dress he was wearing to run, bare-foot, over to her.

"This one's made out of the traditional bridal satin, but we have a line of chiffon capes, too, if you'd like to see some of those, too! And of course, there are hooded overcoats that you can add-on, which are as long as this one, and they feature warm and cozy fur as trim!"

"Yes!" Yuuko cried, joining Fai and Hokuto. "Bring on an overcoat! Fai-san, try this one on, though, it's _gorgeous_!"

"Of course!" Fai whisked the dress away and spun around again - the feel of the satin against his bare ankles, the cool touch against his skin - and beamed at Yuuko. "Are you gonna try other ones on, too~?"

"Hmm. I don't know." Yuuko trailed her fingers down the dress she was currently wearing, off-white with gold, embroidered butterflies down the side, and a split to her thigh. "I'm quite entranced with this one."

"Are you gonna buy it??" Fai asked excitedly, grabbing her hands. "You should!"

Yuuko laughed, patting Fai's hair gently as not to disturb the small bun they had managed to put it in. "If you buy yours, I'll buy mine!"

Fai grinned and went back to the cubicle to change. There was no wedding, of course not. It was all for fun, and with Yuuko and Hokuto at the helm, they could try on dresses and fantasize over the things they _definitely_ couldn't afford, but the sheer excitement of it was enough to keep him bouncing on and off the walls. Maybe the champagne helped, too~

He flung the curtain aside when he had changed and stepped out with a flourish and a bow and a _ta-da~_

"Fai-san!" Yuuko gasped. "You. look. _stunning!!_ "

"You think??" (He thought so, too.)

"That is _definitely_ the one," Yuuko said sagely, nodding her head. "Here, put this on!" Before Fai could even ask, his fellow teacher had slipped a veil on him, sliding the comb into his hair gently. "Look at that, you blushing bride, you!"

Fai hid the hitch in his breath as a little laugh, pressing his knuckles against his lips. "We would make pretty brides, Yuuko-san~"

"Fai-sensei! I love it!" Hokuto cried.

Fai grinned at her in the mirror, and then noticed the white overcoat she carried with her. "Oh...! Coat~" He turned around, tripping (again) in his haste; for all his love of winter came the love of coats, and the softer, bigger, poofier, more _extravagant_ , the _better_.

Forget the teasing about weddings. He'd buy that overcoat right now, in a heartbeat, to wear everyday.

"Excuse me, I was wondering if you- oh."

All three of them looked at the patron that had just walked in, although Fai was more acutely aware of the _look_ he got from the patron in particular: disgust.

... Ah.

"Nevermind," the woman said. "I can see your establishment won't be able to assist me."

Effortless as it was to feign happiness, so simple, like breathing, Fai's smile clung stubbornly onto his lips as he stood by. The veil brushed uncomfortably, like spider's legs against his skin, at the back of his neck. Itching, tickling. He didn't move to fix it, energy expanded solely on the smile.

If he didn't focus on the smile, he was certain he'd cry instead.

"Wait, wait," Hokuto interrupted. "Why do you assume I can't help you?"

"Clearly, you cater to clientele of any sort." Directed straight to Fai, without speaking to him. Just at him.

_Someone old, no one new._

Yuuko stepped forward. "But if they cater to any sort, surely they can handle little old you, yes?" she asked sweetly.

" _Men_ are not _brides_ ," the woman snapped off.

Fai tilted his head, as though questioning the logic behind the sentence. It was the only action he could afford, the words lost on his tongue behind the poison still tugging his lips up.

_Feeling borrowed, always blue._

"My dear," Yuuko said. "Let me let you in on a secret. If anyone should not be a bride... it's you."

"Sorry we can't help," Hokuto said stiffly.

With another dirty look at Fai, the woman was gone.

Fai unfroze from his facade to laugh a bit, turning back to the mirror. "I've lost you a customer, Hokuto-chan!"

"Don't even worry about it, Fai-sensei."

"What a rude woman!" Yuuko added, linking her arm with Fai's. "She's going to be nowhere near as lovely as you!"

Fai hummed, looking at himself in the mirror. Certainly Yuuko was right, of course. Not to think ill of anyone! But, Yuuko would know; she _was_ a fashionista, after all.

And yet...

"My uncle used to say the same things..." he murmured, thinking back, the biting words so crisp in his mind from when he had been so young, impressionable, delicate...

He inhaled sharply and straightened up. "Ahaha~ sorry~ You know, Yuuko-san, I just remembered Yuui and I were meant to do lunch today!" He hoped Yuui would cover for him. "I should get changed!"

"What?"

"Wait, Fai-sensei, did you want to try this on first?"

Fai looked at the long, white overcoat in the mirror's reflection. "... No, that's okay." He hitched up the hem of the dress to go change, and pretended he didn't see the look the women shared behind his back.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... and so, our RP could stay happy, or go angsty. Considering one of our _other_ RPs currently has Watanuki paralysed from the waist down, we decided to stay happy. That being said, I had to put this one to words, too.
> 
> Part Two coming soon!
> 
> "Someone old, no one new. Feeling borrowed, always blue," is from Fall Out Boy's _I Slept With Someone in Fall Out Boy and All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me_. I don't generally like putting lyrics in the middle, but it fit too well with the wedding them, and it's subtle enough, I think? xD
> 
> I do not own _Shiritsu Horitsuba Gakuen_ or FOB's lyrics. Thanks for reading and stay tuned!


	2. The Prince to the Rescue!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurogane to the rescue~

It was quiet.

Too quiet.

Kurogane sipped at his coffee and eyed the vending machine. Chips, candy, crackers... ahh, granola. That could work. He pushed himself to his feet and inserted the money, pressing the buttons carefully. The granola began to dispense, and then

got stuck.

Honestly. Kurogane didn't know whether to frown or roll his eyes.

"It's quiet."

"Agh!" Kurogane jumped as Yuuko spoke from beside him. "Where did you come from?!"

"Fai-sensei called in today."

Kurogane stopped for a moment, shifting his gaze to her face as she feed more money into the vending machine. "... Is he sick?"

"Yuui-sensei says he has hay fever."

"Oh." Kurogane watched her press the same buttons that he had moments ago. "Didn't know he had sensitivity."

"Neither did I." Yuuko crouched and collected the granola, handing one to Kurogane. She was curiously serious, and she had paid more money rather than taunting him for his trapped granola.

Something was wrong. "So, why the attitude?" he asked gruffly, sitting down.

Yuuko sat opposite him. "I was with him yesterday."

Kurogane raised his eyebrows. "Was he sick?"

"No."

Kurogane peeled the wrapped away from breakfast, looking at Yuuko intently. "Okay."

Yuuko sighed, leaning forward to prop her elbows on the table. "We went to try on wedding gowns yesterday."

The words sank in slowly, surprise coloring his mind before replaced with irritation. "After I told you both not to! Don't make him do weird things!"

"It's not _weird_ , Kurogane-sensei, Fai-sensei was having the time of his life!" Yuuko complained, pulling out her phone. "Look!" She held the phone in front of his face, too close, and he had to lean back to squint at the tiny screen.

Small screen, but clearly Fai, bare shouldered and his hair pulled back with a veil in his hair, blue eyes alight and face glowing, looking away from the camera. He probably hadn't even known Yuuko was taking pictures, and he still looked blissfully happy, almost uncomprehendingly so. It wasn't that usual kind of cheerfulness Fai so often exuded, but genuine joy.

Kurogane sighed gently. "Why are you telling me?" he asked, looking away from the camera phone.

"Because someone came in and ran their mouth," Yuuko replied sharply. "And Fai's smile wasn't Fai's _smile_ any more."

"Ah." He pulled his granola apart and chewed thoughtfully. That could happen. Not a surprise, either, people had to step into things that didn't concern them, although he wondered if he was any better. After all, he'd given Fai a smack for considering it.

... He'd kind of thought he'd been joking, though.

"Why are you telling me?" he repeated.

"Go buy him a dress."

Kurogane coughed over his coffee. "What?"

"Go buy him a dress and take it to him and tell him he's pretty," Yuuko said.

"What?? Why do I have to do it???"

"Because you're Fai's favorite person," Yuuko said matter-of-factly. "Out of all of us, Fai-sensei wants _you_ to tell him he's pretty."

"Why would he care if it's me or anyone else?"

Yuuko gave him a look.

Kurogane frowned. "What?"

Yuuko smacked him over the head with her book. "Wake _up_ , Kurogane-sensei!"

"Ow!"

"Buy him a dress and take it to him and tell him he's pretty," Yuuko replied. "And make him smile like _this_ ," she waved her phone towards him, "again. I don't know if he's sick or not, but he's _sad_ , and that's enough reason, right?"

Kurogane glared at her halfheartedly, still rubbing his head. Of course it was enough reason and Yuuko'd had him even before she told him, she'd had him from the moment she'd shown him the picture of Fai's true smile, and _how_ did he end up doing all this for the chemist?

... But Fai's smile really was something else.

Kurogane sighed, running his hand down his face. "I can't buy him a wedding dress."

"That's fine~" Yuuko said cheerfully. "Just any dress will do as long as it looks good on him!"

"Don't even know anything about dress sizing..." he muttered.

"Yuui-sensei~" Yuuko called as the blonde walked into the lounge. "Perfect timing!"

"Ah, apologies, Yuuko-sensei, I left the art teacher watching my oven," Yuui murmured, digging through the fridge.

"Only take a second~" she said cheerfully. "What's Fai-sensei's dress size?"

Yuui closed the fridge. "Thirteen." He headed for the door without looking back. "More or less. Broad shoulders. Talk later!"

Kurogane stared after him as he left. This wasn't an uncommon thing, of course not. After the kimono... ahh, he had to seriously re-evaluate his concept of... teasing.

Yuuko beamed. "There you go! Simple!"

Kurogane grumbled under his breath, "why do I gotta buy it, anyway? You could have bought one and just given it to me."

Yuuko clapped. "That lacks the personal touch! And anyway, I have a meeting with the superintendent tonight."

Kurogane raised an eyebrow. "In trouble, finally?" Climbing in windows, the bunch of them... not that he wanted any of them to leave, though. What the hell would he do with the silence if they did?

"Nope~" Yuuko grinned. "We're having dinner."

Kurogane stared.

" _Are you seriously trying to seduce the superintendent?!?!?"_

 

 

Kurogane sighed, and it came out more like a growl.

Was this kind of thing Fai's style? How should he know? A dress looked like a dress to him. All he saw was a bunch of fabric; fashion was as far from his _zone_ as it could get. He had uniforms for school and so did everyone else, on the weekend it was usually a t-shirt and jeans and he didn't _know_ about this stuff.

He ended up picking blindly, and sending a photo to Yuui (not Yuuko, the crazy woman, not that she would have given him advice anyway).

_[Sent] What's your opinion of this dress?_   
_[Received] It's interesting._   
_[Sent] What does that mean_   
_[Sent] That means its horrible doesnt it_   
_[Received] No! It's just interesting._   
_[Received] Fai'll like it no matter what._

Kurogane huffed. So, he knew the story, too. Kurogane wondered if Yuuko was going around telling the entire staff, that woman...!

_[Sent] She told you._   
_[Received] Yes._   
_[Received] Thank you for taking care of my brother, Kurogane-sensei._

Kurogane grunted and tapped out a reply.

_[Sent] It's not a big deal. And don't call me Sensei; we're off the clock._   
_[Received] Whatever you say, Kurogane-san. :)_

He rolled his eyes and shoved his phone back into his pocket, unsure which part of his sentence Yuui had been responding to. In the end, it didn't matter, and he headed off to pick up some food before going to Fai's place.

"Kuro-san!" Fai exclaimed as he opened the door, although his voice was nasally as he spoke, eyes puffy and nose red.

"... You really are sick."

"Uh huh? Did you think I- ah-" He turned around and sneezed into the crease of his elbow, sniffling as he turned back. "Did you think I skipped school for no reason?"

"Hell if I know." Kurogane knuckled Fai's bangs away from his face to press his skin against the chemist's forehead.

Fai chuckled a little. "What's in the bags, Kuro-san?"

"Food." He held out one of the bags.

Fai gasped. "Are we having dinner together??"

Kurogane blew out a breath. "Calm down, it's only take-out."

"Yaaay~ Dinner with Kuro-puu!" Fai sneezed again, only just hanging onto the bag he'd just taken. "Ahhh, _hate_ this!"

"I didn't know you were sensitive to that kinda thing," Kurogane remarked.

"It depends on the year." Fai sniffled. "Started noticing it yesterday evening, I probably could have come in today, but I've been trying to sleep because I can't feel miserable when I'm sleeping!" He laughed and pushed his sleeves up. "What's the other bag?"

"... Somethin' for you." He held it out. "I don't... I don't know."

"Oooh, what it is~?" He took the bag, folding himself to sit down on the floor without any preamble.

"Look, don't get too excited-"

" _Ah_!"

Kurogane stared towards the wall; it was easier than looking at Fai and risking the embarrassment turning his face pink. He hated buying gifts for the holidays, let alone any time else. "Yuuko-san told me about yesterday."

"... Ah." Fai was quiet for a moment, and Kurogane glanced back just in time to see the blonde break out into a smile. "Kuro-sama bought me a dress~" He scrambled back to his feet. "Let me try it on!"

"Wha- you don't have to if you- _hey_!" he growled, as Fai pulled his shirt up over his head. "At least change in the bathroom! Your curtains are open!"

Fai only laughed, throwing his shirt at Kurogane before running out of the room, dress slung over his shoulder.

"This isn't a peep show!" Kurogane growled, uncrumpling Fai's shirt and flipping it right side out. "Honestly, probably walks around naked in front of his windows all the time..." he muttered, smoothing out the wrinkles. To be fair, Kurogane didn't know that for sure, but he _had_ come over once after Fai had gotten out of the shower and the chemist had been walking around in only a towel and Kurogane wanted to strangle him.

_At least close your curtains..._ he grumbled internally.

"Did Yuui tell you my size?" Fai called.

"... Yeah. Was he right?"

"Yep~ I'm surprised he still remembers, actually." Fai flung the bathroom door open and spun into the hall. "I love it, Kuro-san!"

Dresses were not Kurogane's speciality, but the smile on Fai's face was something else entirely. At that point, seeing it first hand... well, it didn't really matter what Fai was _wearing_ to get it there.

Kurogane smiled a bit. "It suits you."

"Is it pretty~?" Fai trilled, spinning in a circle and tugging at the strap of the dress.

"Yeah. Sure." Kurogane didn't think much of the dress, honestly. But Fai's face made his response truthful, all the same; there was some implication about saying _you'd look good only wearing that smile_. Not something to be said out loud. But it was true. And if that dress made him smile like that...

"Listen, chemist," he muttered, "the other day. If I... I mean... I guess it's kind of reflex to snap at you, so... just... wear what you wanna. Uh..."

"Kuro-tan, are you trying to apologize?" Fai asked, leaning in close.

Kurogane grunted, and studiously stared at the wall.

"Awww, Kuro-sama~ You're overthinking it!" Fai said, grabbing Kurogane's arm and dragging him to the table.

"Wai- what?"

"Your concern is touching, Kuro-sama," Fai said, pulling the take-out out of the bag it was in. "Really. It's more than you get from some people." He turned around - and was he spinning so much on purpose, of course he was - and padded into the kitchen, coming back with iced coffees. "I don't care if it's for girls or if it's for boys. I just like cute clothes," he said.

"Isn't that kind of..."

"Juvenile?" Fai supplied, sitting next to him. Kurogane frowned, but Fai shrugged and plowed ahead. "Maybe, but I don't care. Clothes are clothes, they're all made from the same things and we all wear them. Who gets to say if they're meant for boys or girls?" Fai lifted the lid from one of the containers. "Oooh, soup~ Itadakimasu~" He swallowed a mouthful and licked his lips thoughtfully. "Good!" he announced, tapping his lips with his chopsticks. "I really don't care if people look at me and see a boy or a girl or whatever scraps of fabric I decide to put on. Because that doesn't matter, right? The inside does. And maybe that is childish, but it's that simple, to me. I know it isn't to everybody, though." He plucked a piece of potato out of the container. "I respect that," he added, and popped the potato in his mouth.

Kurogane didn't realize he was staring at him until Fai called him out on it.

"Kuro-saaan~ your soup's getting cold."

Kurogane frowned and, looking down at his soup, picked up his chopsticks. "You shouldn't let people talk down to you."

"Why? It doesn't bother me."

"Yes, it does."

Fai paused, and then smiled slightly. Softer. Less bright, but more real. "Sometimes," he said gently. "If I'm in a space where I feel particularly confident, or happy. Yesterday... My family used to do the same thing."

Fai rarely talked about his family, and Kurogane watched him through his eyelashes to gauge the chemist's reactions.

"But it's okay! It's really okay!" Fai continued brightly. "Kuro-daddy's being such a good daddy and being worried about me~" He reached over to poke at Kurogane's nose.

Kurogane swatted his hand away. "Don't call me daddy!"

Fai laughed.

Kurogane huffed and cracked his chopsticks. "... You're a lot stronger than you let people think," he commented, and began to eat.

"No, not really! Just strong enough," Fai said cheerfully.

Kurogane rolled his eyes. _Liar. You're stronger than all of us._ He didn't say that out loud, instead reaching over to ruffle Fai's hair.

"Ahh~hhh~ Kuro-sama, that _hurts_ ~"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Size 13 is about size 10 in American clothing, as far as I can tell ; our (bookwyrmling and I's) conservative guess at Fai's potential size. Shoulders, those shoulders... *o*
> 
> Anyway; Fai in wedding dresses is something I needed more of, and Fai in women's clothing is clearly a thing throughout the 'verses, anyway, so why not. He's pretty in everything~
> 
> I do not own _Horitsuba Gakuen_. Thanks all for reading!


End file.
